Storehouse



July 20, 1937. c. TQVELL 2,087,864

STOREHOUSE Filed Oct. 15, 1956 '3 Sheejts-Sheet 1 C. E. TOVELL STOREHOUSE Filed Oct. 13, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VII/l/I/I/l,

July 20, 1937.

c. E. TOVELL STOREHOUSE Filed Oct. 1a, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Cid/rem ZZ/yeaeZZz/eZZ abbot/ Patented July 20, 1937 .STQREHOUSE Clarence Eugene Tovell, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Metal Air Seals Company, a partnership composed of (3. Eugene Tovell and Walter J.

Application October 13, 1936, Serial No. 105,417

10 Claims.

This invention relates to storage racks and has particular reference to structures of this kind wherein alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey, gin, etc. are stored for long periods and/or to effect proper aging.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a storehouse, with suitable rack construction, for inflammable liquids while undergoing storage and/or aging, said rack being provided with means for reducing fire hazards and for effectively checking the spread of me from one part of the structure to the other. v

More specifically, it is an object-of this invention to provide effective sealing means whereby sections or parts of the rack areproperly and eifectively sealed from adjacent sections or parts of the rack so that a fire within one section will not spread to adjacent sections.

A further object of this invention is to provide, at properly spaced locations, metallic covering material over the gaps, cracks and other voids between adjacent structural members of the rack, said metallic covering material being disposed to provide sealed compartments wherein each compartment comprises one or more floor levels or stories of the rack.

A still-further object ofthis invention is to provide sprinkling means for each of the compartments heretofore described.

Other, further and more specific objects of this invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section, substantially parallel to the end of a storage house, showing several stories in the upper portion of the building and illustrating the use of my invention in a wooden rack structure wherein the barrel supports are 40 spaced to support the barrels at the chimes.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental cross-section along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental vertical section along lines 3-3 of Figs. 1 and.2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the application of my invention to a wooden rack structure wherein the barrel supports are spaced to support the barrels'betweenthe chimes.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail fragmental view 50 showing the use of the sheet metal sealing means in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, Zand 3.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and showing the use of the sheet metal sealing means in the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 4.

55 Fig. 7 is a view similar to F g. 3 and illustrating the use of my invention in a metal rack structure wherein the barrel supports are spaced to support the barrels at the chimes.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail fragmental view showing the use of the sheet metal sealing means 5 in the construction illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a detail fragmental view, more enlarged than Fig. 8, showing the manner of securing the sheet metal sealing means to the metal rack structure.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the application of my invention to a metal rack structure wherein the barrel supports are spaced to support the barrels between the chimes.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmental view along line ll-ll of Fig.'10, showing the manner of securing the sheet metal sealing means to the metal rack structure.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-section through the hallway at afloorlevel where sheet metal sealing means are used in the rack, and showing sheet metal sealing means applied to the floor.

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section through an elevator shaft in a storage house containing racks provided with my sheet metal sealing means and showing the fire-excluding doors of the shaft in the vertical or open position.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13, but showing the fire-excluding doors of the shaft in the hori-. zontal or closed position.

Fig. 15 is a fragmental view along line l5-I5 of Fig. 13.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. the storage house is provided with a wooden rack structure I containing the hallways 2 which have the walks 3 at each floor. From each side of each of these walks 3 extend the barrel supports 4 fastened upon the sills 6 resting upon the upright members 8. These upright members 8 also serve to support the barrel supports 4. The barrel supports 4, sills 6 and upright members 8 form the spaces or' cells I 0 wherein the whiskey or other liquids are stored for aging and/or keeping. To utilize to full advantage the space'in these cells l0, additional barrel supports l2 are provided in each cell. In the illustration shown on the drawings, the barrels are supported at three elevations in each cell.

In order to afford proper facility for inspection of the cells l0 when filled with barrels, there are provided the narrow passageways H with the treads or cat-walks I6. The cat-walks are at each floor and rest upon the sills 6. These passageways l4 may be provided between each pair of adjacent cells ID or, as shown in Figs. 2 55 and 3, passageways provided alternately between pairs of cells can be employed.

An essential feature of this invention is the provision .at one or more floors of the rack' structure of the sheet metal seals l8 which are attached to the sills and barrel supports 4. In

' the passageways I4, the sheet metal seals are preferably positioned below the treads or catwalks l6. These sheet metal members I8 serve to separate and seal the space in the rack above such floor level fromthe space in the rack below such floor level so that, in case of fire, the flames in the space in the rack below such floor level will not travel to the space in the rack above risers or vertical manifolds 22 and the horizontal pipes 24. The sprinklers are provided with the customary material of low melting point, which fuses at a definite low temperature and releases the fire-extinguishing fluid.

The openings between adjacent barrel supports 4 in adjacent cells l0 are also sealed with sheet metal strips 26. I

I also prefer to cover the underside of the walks 3 of the hallways 2 with sheet metal 28 in orde to assure thorough sealing of such floor.

In the rack construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3

and 5 barrel supports 4, sills 6 and upright membets 8 are of wood. In the wooden construction,

themetal seals l8 are preferably nailed to 'thebarrel supports 4 and sills 6. The metal strips 26 are nailed directly to the barrel supports '4. The supports 4 are spaced to support the barrels at the chimes.

In Figs. 4 and 6, the barrel supports 30 are fastened upon the sills 6 and are spaced to support the barrels between the chimes. The rack structure is of wood. Sheet metal seals -32 between adjacent barrel supports in the same cell, sheet metal seals 34 between adjacent barrel supports in adjacent cells and the sheet metal seals 36- which pass under the cat-walks iii are nailed to the barrel supports 30.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, which illustrate the use of my invention in a metal rack structure, the upright members 38 and the barrel supports 40 are of metal, preferably of channel design. The sheet metal seals 42 between adjacent barrel supports in adjacent cells, the sheet metal seals 44 between adjacent barrelsupp'orts in the same cells, and the sheet metal seals 46 which pass under the cat-walk 48 may be conveniently fastened to the upright members 38 andthe barrel supports 40 by means of wires 50, the ends 52 of which are twisted to provide a tight hold. The barrel supports 40 are attached to the upright members 38 andare spaced. to support the barrels at the chimes.

In the rack structure shown in Figs. wand 11 the barrel supports 54 are spaced to support the barrels between the chimes. These barrel supports 54 are supported by the sills 56, which are supported by the prigh members 5.- l l thi [6, are attached .the rack structure.

to restricted space, the fire-extinguishing fluid construction the sheet metal seals 60 are fastened to the sills 58 by means of wires 62.

In storage houses of this kind, it is necessary to employ one or more elevators. In order to prevent the spread of fire through the elevator shaft, there are preferably provided, at each of the floor levels having the sheet metal sealing means, the swinging doors 64 and 66 disposed within the elevator shaft 68. The swinging doors G4 and 66 may be made to automatically operate, as by means of a fusible catch 10, which, when heated to a given temperature will melt and release the doors 64 and 66, allowing these doors to drop from the vertical or open position shown in Fig. 13 to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 14 and close the opening in the elevator shaft at such. floor level. It is preferable also to face these doors 64 and 66 with metal, and to provide on one of these doors a flap 12 attached thereto by spring hinges I4 which will be released when the door 66 is released and thereby provide a more effective seal at the edges of the doors.

In using my sheet metal sealing means in a rack structure made of material having a different coefficient of'expansion from that of the sheet metal, it is desirable to provide for the differences in expansion and contraction of the different materials. The sheet metal seals I8, 32, 34 and 36 in the wooden rack structures illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 are of channel form and thus provide for expansion and contraction. The sheet metal strips 26,are formed with the ridges I6 and the sheet metal strips 28 are formed with the ridges 18 to provide the heat expansive means.

The application of the sheet metal sealing means to rack structure, as heretofore described, results in a highly efficient means for preventing the spread of flre fromthe space in the rack below the sealing means to the space in the rack above the sealing means.

used in racks, while suflicient to extinguish a fire when confined within the space between the sealing means, has been found insufiicient and non-dependable to extinguish or even check a flre when it is permitted to spread throughout By so confining the fire released. from the sprinklers can be depended upon to extinguish the fire. The fire-proof doors in the elevator shaft also aid in preventing the spread of flre.

The sheet metal sealing means, employed as herein shown, do not diminish the storage capacity of the racks and offer no impediment to the storing and removal of the barrels from the racks.

The present invention is-not limited to the specific details'set forth in the foregoing examples which should be construed as illustrative and not by way of limitation, and in view of the numerous modifications which may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, it is desired that only such limitations be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A storage rack having a plurality of floor levels, means at one of said floor levels for sealing the space in said rack above said floor level from the space in said rack below said floor level,

disposed to cover the voids in the rack structure.

at said floor level. l

2. In a storage rack for barrels containing ag ing liquid, a plurality of floor levels, barrel supports at said floor levels, means at one of said floor levels for sealing the space in said rack above said floor level from the space in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal attached tothe barrel supports and to other parts of the structure of said rack at said floor level and disposed to cover the voids at said floor level between said barrel supports and the voids at said floor level between other parts of said rack structure.

3. In a storage rack for barrels containing aging liquid, a plurality of floor levels, barrel supports at said floor levels, means at one of said floor v levels for sealing the space in said rack above said floor level from the space in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal attached to the barrel supports and to other parts or the structure of said rack at said floor level and disposed to cover the voids at said floor level between said barrel supports, the voids at said floor level between other parts of said rack structure, and the voids at said flood level between said barrel supports and other parts of said rack structure. v

4. A storage rack having a plurality of storie including stories with floor levels having means for sealing the space in said rack above each of said floor levels from the space in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal attachedv to the structure of said rack at said floor'levels and disposed to cover the voids in the rack structure at said floor levels. 5. A storage rack having a plurality of stories including alternate stories with floor levels having means for sealing the space in said rack above each of said floor levels from the space in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal attached to the structure of said rack at said floor levels anddisposed to cover the voids in the rack structure at said floor levels.

6. In a storage rack for barrels containing aging liquid, a plurality of stories including stories with floor levels having means for sealing the space in said rack above each of said floor levels from the space in said rack below said floor level, barrel supportsat said floor levels, said sealing means comprising sheet metal attached to the structure of said rack at said floor levels and dis- .posed to cover the voids at said floor levels between said barrel supports, the voids at said floor levels between other parts of said rack structure, and the voids at said floor levels between said barrel supports and other parts of said rack structure.

'7. A storage rack having a plurality of floor levels, means at one of said floor levels for sealing the space in said rack above said floor level from the space in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal having heat expansive portion and attached to the structure of said rack at said floor level and disposed to cover the voids in the rack structure at said floor level.

8. A storage rack of wooden structure having a plurality of floor levels, means at one of said floor levels for sealing the space in said rack above said floor level from the space in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal attached to the structure of said rack at said floor level and disposed to cover the voids in the rack structure at said floor level.

9. A storage rack of metal structure having a plurality of floor levels, means at one of said flood levels for sealing the space in said rack above said floor level from the space in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal attached to the structure of said rack at said floor level and disposed to cover the voids in the rack structure at said floor level.

10. In a storage rack for barrels containing aging liquid, a plurality of floor levels, barrel supports at said floor levels, means at one of said floor levels for sealing the space in said rack above said floor level from the space'in said rack below said floor level, said means comprising sheet metal attached to the barrel supports and to other parts of the structure of said rack at said floor level and disposed to cover the voids at said floor level between said barrel supports,

' the voids at said floor level between other parts of said rack structure, and the voids at said floor level between said barrel supports and other parts 01' said rack structure, a hallway having a walk at said floor level, and sheet metal sealing means attached to said walk and disposed to cover voids in the structure of said walk.

a l CLARENCE EUGENE TOVELL. 

